The Beach
by RheaD4
Summary: Shortly after Annie is crowned Victor of the 70th Annual Hunger Games, she finally starts to feel like herself again...and begins to realise how she feels about Finnick Odair.


It was a beautiful day, no doubt about that. It'd been too long since I'd been outside on a day like this. Since I'd felt like myself again. I knew what they meant now, when they said the arena would change you. I'd gone in there with the idea that I was never coming back out again, sometimes I'd still think that would've been better. That very thought had kept me cooped up in my house for the past couple of weeks. Leaving me alone with only my overactive mind for company, already tired from the nightmares. I try not to let myself think about the nightmares, especially not today. I take in the smell of the salt, the seawater, the feel of sand between my toes, home. District Four. I'd missed this beach, the sea, the feeling of being at peace. Since I'd come out of the arena I'd been at anything but peace. In the Capitol they'd tried to put me back together as best as possible by scrubbing me up, by washing away my scars with chemicals, by repairing my wounds and dressing me in pretty things. But no chemical they could bathe me in, no dress they could put me in could stop the voices in my head or the images flashing behind my eyes, the icy limbs pulling me down, and the silent screams. They sent me around the Districts to meet the people and to face the grieving families of those children who died. District Two was the worst. The boy I killed, he looked just like his mother. And when she looked at me as I stood on the stage, I saw the same brown eyes, almost identical to the boy whose life I ended, whose name I never even knew.

Just before the voices would come back and I could feel my hands moving to my ears, I'd always feel his hand around mine. Pulling me away from the crowd, holding me until the tears stopped. His strong arms around me, his solid, warm body against mine were the only things that made me feel safe anymore. He'd reassure me and wipe away the moisture from my face, never letting me go.

Now as I turn to face him, he's looking at me, his eyebrows pulled together, his green eyes bearing into my own trying to figure out what I'm thinking. He pulls me closer, lacing our fingers together.

"Annie, you promised me you'd try not to think about that today." says Finnick.

I had promised him. I'd promised myself too. No voices. Not today. Instead I look out to the ocean for inspiration, somewhere to divert my thoughts. The balmy sea air whips through my hair, the waves lap against my toes, and I realise.

"Finnick, I miss the ocean." I say. This earns me a tentative smile.

Before anyone can change my mind I strip down to my underclothes and run. I keep running until the water is around my waist and my feet are barely touching the surface. The water is so warm, so comforting. So different to the icy flood they sent through the arena. I let the water take over, and I'm floating. I feel the sun on my face and close my eyes. I want to wash all the traces of the arena, the Capitol, The Hunger Games off me, so I dunk my head under the water until I have to come up for air. When I break the surface, I find Finnick standing in front of me. It takes me a minute to catch my breath as I take him in. He's glistening and gorgeous, his green eyes are surveying every inch of me, and I'm very aware of it. I feel myself blushing and I hate it. I look down and run my hands over the water to avoid looking at him. He moves closer and his hand cups my face, his thumb brushes away a strand of my hair and then proceeds to trace my lips. I feel myself getting redder. If I wanted to forget the arena, whatever Finnick is doing is working. I can't think about anything but his eyes and hands on me, red hot. I don't know what to say, words are a muddle of letters in my head. My face keeps getting hotter and hotter, and I am still very aware that he's looking at me.

"You don't know how beautiful you are." He whispers.

For a second everything stops. Like time has frozen. I'm not sure what step I'm to take next. Any sane person would take that as a compliment, would maybe look up and say thank you, or smile, or blush even more. But then I realise that I am hardly sane anymore, and that this is Finnick Odair. _How many other girls have you said that to, Finnick?_ Instead of coyness, anger and humiliation bubble up inside of me. I'd seen the way girls would flock around him, faint when he winked or smiled at them. I'd heard the stories of the famous Finnick Odair and his fancy lovers in the Capitol. He'd stick around for a couple of days, but then he'd move on to the next one. So, what was he doing here with a naive girl from District Four? One who could never give him all the things they could in the Capitol. I feel so stupid, so stupid for believing that those smiles, those looks, all of it was meant for me. Of course not. And I was not going to let Finnick Odair fool me.

I push his hand away from my face, furious, and turn to walk away.

"Annie?"

I keep walking.

"Annie!" he calls.

As I reach the edge of the water, Finnick grabs my hand. I pull free of his grip and push him back into the sea. Confusion fills his eyes. _Has a girl ever reacted to his sweet nothings like this before? _I think.

"Annie, what is it?"

"Don't!" I shout. "When you say things like that...it may mean nothing to you Finnick, but it does to me!"

"What?" he sounds exasperated, like he has nothing in him to fight.

"I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure it out. That it's all just a game to you!" I say it more to myself than to him.

"Annie..."

"I'm not another of your Capitol cronies ok? I'm not just another one night stand, Finnick! I was just stupid enough to believe I meant something to you..."

There's a silence. Something like sadness flashes in his eyes, but then its anger.

"You really think that?" he says it quietly, but the words seem deadly.

I look at the ground, unable to speak, because I don't know what I think.

"Annie, I tried so hard to ignore you, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to lose you. It was my fault that I couldn't even do that. So I knew, the minute that you stepped into that arena, I would have to do everything in my power to make sure you got out alive. I made sure every sponsor knew your name; I made sure you had everything you needed in there. Maybe it was selfish to think like that, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you didn't come back breathing.

Watching you struggle, especially after Noel...it was excruciating. The fact that I couldn't do much more for you killed me Annie! When they sent that flood in..." he trails off. The pain in his eyes is enough for me to believe him, and feel like the worst person in the world. "When those trumpets went off, and they pulled you out of the arena, I can't explain what I felt. I needed to see you right away, be with you. It didn't feel real."

I don't know what to say. I'd just yelled at him.

I knew he wasn't lying. No one could lie that well. Not even Finnick Odair. All of it, every smile, and every reassurance had been real. He'd promised me before the games he'd do everything he could to help me, and I'd just thrown it back in his face.

"You know, after you won, I went to the Gamemaker office, and punched the Head Gamemaker in the face for sending that flood in." He says.

This makes me laugh. I feel my face break into a grin, and I feel even more terrible. I look up to see Finnick grinning too, not that horrible Capitol Finnick grin, but real Finnick.

"I broke his nose." He adds.

At this I run back into the water and slam into him. It's all I can do to wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

I pull away to look at him, his smile, his eyes once again trained on me. He leans in, our foreheads touching. Suddenly I'm breathing rapidly, I'm lost for words, my face is getting hot again, I'm aware of the fact that we are very close. I duck my head under again, but when I open my eyes, Finnick has joined me under the water. His lips are on mine before I can form another thought. At this moment I know that I definitely mean something to him.


End file.
